Russia concerned about U.S. missile defense plans: FM

MOSCOW, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Russia is alarmed by the intentions behind the U.S. missile defense plan in Eastern Europe and its deployment of Patriot missiles in Poland, said spokesman for the Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

"We are concerned about the United States' absolutely unfounded anti-missile activities in Poland," Andrei Nesterenko told a press briefing.

"It is not clear to us why Patriot anti-aircraft and anti- missile systems are being deployed near the Russian border. Nor have we an answer to the question about what threats will be tackled in the drill which will be held very close to Russia's Kaliningrad region," said the spokesman as quoted by the Interfax news agency.

"This sort of unilateral moves on the part of the United States cannot be left without attention," he said.

Russia remained opposed to other European countries' participation in anti-missile drills, he added.

Washington and Warsaw signed the Status of Forces Agreement last December, laying out the terms for the deployment of Patriot missiles.

The first batch of Patriot missiles will be deployed around May 24 at the town of Morag, just 100 kilometers from the Polish border with the Russian western enclave of Kaliningrad, the Polish Defense Ministry announced Wednesday.

Poland said the choice of site was because of local infrastructure of fine quality that can provide sufficient technical support for the U.S. armed forces, rather than strategic consideration.